Introduction

• Metrication
• The Job of the Trail Crew
• Setting Priorities
• Trail Planning and Design
• Trail Specifications
• Light on the Land
• Trail Layout

Why write another trail construction and maintenance guide? Good question. Several good trail books and many local manuals already exist. These are being used to train trail crews throughout the country. Only a handful are published or widely available, however. Lots of great information is being circulated on photo-copied copies of photocopies.

The Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC) was asked to pull together basic trail construction and maintenance information, present it in an easy-to-understand fashion, and orient it just to activities done in the field. We do not intend to duplicate information already in the Forest Service handbooks or manuals for tasks better completed in the office, although we’ve tried to make sure this notebook is consistent with current policies and direction. We worked to keep it small and readable so it would end up in trail crew packs instead of propping up table legs.

Since this notebook covers just the basics, you’ll want to read the more detailed Forest Service Trails Handbook (FSH 2309.18), Specifications for Construction and Maintenance of Trails (EM-7720-103), Standard Drawings for Construction and Maintenance of Trails (EM-7720-104), Standards for Forest Service Signs and Posters (EM-7100-15), Forest Service Health and Safety Code (FSH 6709.11), Transportation Structures Handbook (FSH 7709.56b), and selected references from the bibliography. Other sources cover winter trails, paved or surfaced trails, and other specialized trails.

We have also found there are many regional differences in techniques, tools, and terminology throughout the country. It is impossible to describe them all, and we hope you aren’t offended if your favorite has been left out or called a funny name.

There is very little "new" about trail work. Our culture, though, has forgotten a lot about trails. Most of us know very little about water and dirt when we attempt our first trail job.

Metrication

Metrication lives! Standard International (SI) units of measurement (metric) are used throughout the text followed by roughly equivalent English measurements in parentheses. Bear with us as we join the rest of the world. There is a handy conversion chart on the inside back cover to help the metrically challenged make the transition.

One other word on measurements. Most crews don't haul measuring tapes around to measure things. A really handy way of keeping track of commonly used measures is to mark them on tool handles. For example, if your typical tread is supposed to be 600 mm (24 in), mark that distance on the shovel handle.

The Job of the Trail Crew

The most important thing in trail maintenance is your personal well–being and safety. Are you fit? Do you know your limitations? Do you have the skills you need?

Your personal gear, clothing, and safety equipment are important. Let's start with your feet. Most trail work is in pretty rough country. Leather boots, at least 200 mm (8 in) high, offer the best support and ankle protection and are a Forest Service requirement when using cutting or digging tools. Ankle–high hiking boots are okay for some trail work. Sneakers or tennis shoes do not give enough support and protection. Be aware of regional differences. In southeast Alaska, for example, rubber boots are the norm for most trail work.

Pants rather than shorts give greater protection from scrapes, insects, and sunburn. Long–sleeve shirts are best for the same reasons. Bring your foul–weather gear. You won't forget a good pair of gloves more than once. Drinking water, lip moisturizer, sunscreen, sunglasses, insect repellent, and personal medications round out the list.

Hardhats are an agency requirement for many types of trail work, especially when working in timber or when there is any chance of being hit on the head. Other safety gear you need includes eye protection for any type of cutting or rock work, ear protection near most motorized equipment, and dust masks for some types of rock work and in extremely dusty conditions. Don't start the job unless you are properly equipped. Take a look at the Forest Service Health And Safety Code (FSH 6709.11) for some good information that could save your life.

As a crew, you'll need a first aid kit, the training to know how to use it, and a realistic emergency and communication plan. The project leader should prepare a job hazard analysis that identifies the specific hazards of the work you will be doing, and should also hold safety briefings before you start and whenever you do something new.

Setting Priorities

High–quality and timely maintenance will greatly extend the useful life of a trail. The trail crew's task is to direct water and debris off the tread, and keep the users on it. The best trail maintainers are those with "trail eye," the ability to anticipate physical and social threats to trail integrity and to head off problems.

Even though you know the proper maintenance specifications, sometimes there is too much work for the time you have to spend. How do you decide what to do?

Since it's a given that there will always be more work to do than people to do it, it's important to:

• Monitor your trail conditions closely.
• Decide what can be accomplished as basic maintenance.
• Determine what can be deferred.
• Identify what area will need major work.

This 'trail triage' is critically important if your maintenance dollars are going to be spent keeping most of the tread in the best possible condition.

Trail Planning and Design

Recreation trails are for people. They allow us to go back to our roots. Trails help humans make sense of a world increasingly dominated by automobiles and pavement. They allow us to come more closely in touch with our natural surroundings, to soothe our psyches, to challenge our bodies, and to practice ancient skills.

Keep this in mind when designing, constructing, and maintaining trails. Although many trails have some purely utilitarian value, their esthetic and recreational qualities are important to most people. A well–crafted trail is unobtrusive, environmentally sensitive, and fun.

Human psychology also plays a role. A useful trail must be easy, obvious, and convenient. Trails exist simply because they are an easier way of getting someplace. Of course, many trails, such as wilderness trails, dirt bike routes, or climbing routes, are deliberately challenging with a relatively high degree of risk. Rest assured, however, that if your official trail isn't the "path of least resistance" for users trying to get from point A to point B, they will create their own trail. Your trail must be easier, more obvious, and more convenient than the alternatives (relative to the challenge level sought) or you're wasting your time and money.

A good trail may appear to have "just happened," but that appearance belies an incredible amount of work in scouting, design, layout, construction, and maintenance. Although this guide is focused on actual dirt work, we want you to clearly understand that solid planning is absolutely essential.

If you've ever encountered a trail "disaster," chances are that it resulted from short–circuited planning. Acts of God aside, some of the worst trail problems result from not doing the hard work of thinking before putting on the gloves and hardhat. Some glaring examples of "fixes":

• Building out-of-rhythm short reroutes instead of rebuilding the old trail in place.
• Feeble rock crib walls.
• Stacked switchbacks with long, nearly level approaches.

Planning is not a hoop to be jumped through. Planning is stupidity avoidance. Do good planning for all levels of trail work.

Good planning also includes monitoring trail condition. It's hard to do good planning unless you have some idea of the current situation and trend.

Trail Specifications

All trails are not created equal. Each is ideally designed, constructed, and maintained to meet specific requirements. These specifications relate to the recreational activities the trail is intended to provide, the planned level of difficulty, the amount of use expected, and physical characteristics of the land. Ecological and esthetic considerations are also important.

 E-mail: wo_mtdc_webmaster@fs.fed.us